Kenshin and a ribbon
by ryuu3
Summary: They fought for his love, but..but Kaoru....Kaoru lost against her own ribbon??!!


Disclaimers : Rurouni Kenshin is the property of  ..*ryuu pokes out her head to look for Watsuki-sama* ..he's not here. Mwahahahaaaaaha…Kenshin is MINE!!MINE alone!!!

ITTAAAAIIIIII!!!!!! *ryuu fell on the floor swirly-eyed*  K..Ka..Kaoru?

Kaoru: Kenshin is MINE!!! *smacks ryuu again with her bokken*

*ryuu tries to find cover*

This is just a one-shot, my first one-shot rk fic.

"Mou..where is everyone?." Kaoru pouted as she walked along the silent hall. _Sano must be off somewhere gambling, or snoring. Yahiko is at the Akabeko, tailing behind Tsubame as usual…mmm..I wonder where is Kenshin…maybe in his room._ She slid Kenshin's shoji door open.

"Kenshin." She called softly. Looking left, right, she slid the shoji shut after seeing that Kenshin was nowhere in the room.

_Maybe he's doing laundry._ She looked around the dojo, and saw that white clothes were already on the clothesline.

_In the kitchen?._ She poked her head inside the kitchen, but it was unoccupied.

_Hmphh..it seems that I'm alone today. Well, treasure the silence, Kaoru.._ She went to her room; picked up her book she's been reading the previous day and a thin blanket and went out to sit by the river.

                                    ********** `_  *************

   She spread her blanket and sit against a tree, enjoying its shade and began to open her book when her eyes caught a glimpse of magenta and red. _I'm too familiar with the colour…what is he doing here?._ Tossing the book on her blanket, she crept nearer the bush where Kenshin was. _Careful, Kaoru. He might hear you…_

    She saw Kenshin's red head went up, sensing something near him. _Huh!!_ She flattened herself on the grass beneath her, hiding behind a bush. Her kimono was not helping much with bright colours and layers of clothes to go on with such mission._ Mou…this is not good. I just had a bath and I'm going home smelling like a cow when this is over. _ She opened up her eyes to see a bee hovering over her nose. 

    " Aar---." She tried to clamp her mouth with her hands, but they were imprisoned under her body, so she smacked her face against the grass instead. _Oouucchh…I should know that spying on Kenshin will make even nature angry!. _ Staying still for a couple of minutes to ensure that the bee was no longer going to eat her nose, she lifted her head, and inched to the nearest bush to inspect on Kenshin better.

   He had moved farther, obviously sensing someone's presence. He crouched low, scanned the area, and let his eyes stay right on her direction.

  Kaoru ducked lower, and technically stopped her breathing. _Oo…Kami-sama, don't let him see me. Please…please…_

He looked away.

He looked down, or was he looking for something in his gi.

He took something out from his gi, but she couldn't see it because his back was blocking her view. She strained her neck  higher, trying to eavesdropped his conversation with, well..maybe Battousai, or the rurouni. She heard some noises, but couldn't understand them. She concentrated more, and tried to shut the noise of flowing river and chirping birds out. She heard some, it's..

"Kami-sama help me…*mumbles*…."

_Help him?. Why does he need any help?_

"She'll get angry…*mumbles mumbles*…pissed of…*mumbles*…."

_She?!!! Who??!!! _Kaoru felt like killing the noisy birds for she couldn't hear much more of it.

" …..the juice….*mumbles* …sticky de gozaru…"

Juice?…What juice?… 

" …her…smells bad..*mumbles* ….urrghhh…"

Who smells bad?!!!!. Me?!!!! . I'll kill you for this, Kenshin!!! She pulls her sleeves up. 

"…I've stained her…..*mumbles*…very bad…jerk….."

…stained her?!!. Who?. So, this is what you've been doing in secret, Kenshin. I'll burn your sorry ass for this. How dare you!!!!  Smokes were coming out of her ears by then.

"…never forgives me ….*mumbles*…don't deserve her.."

Only a fool will forgive you, jerk. And, yes, you don't deserve her. Deserve?. That word is very familiar to me….what, you said that to every girl you met!!!! Kenshin!!!!. Rot in Hell!!!!!  She already had lightning crashing on her head then, thick grey smokes coming out from her ears, nostrils and every way possible, ready to crash the earth with her steps and blood boiling hot enough to burn Kenshin when she heard.. 

"Oh..Kaoru-dono!!!. Forgive sessha…" Kenshin almost screamed.

She ducked low again, and looked normal again.

 He was talking about …me?.

She smiled thinking that it was sweet of him to even remember her when he wasn't with her.

He stained me??!!!. When?. How?. 

She scratched her head trying to remember any forward or open flirtation of Kenshin, and almost scratched her hair out when she remembered none.

Mou…he never did anything. Baka rurouni, at least kiss me on the cheek!! 

She blushed as the thought flashed through her mind. She blushed more when her mind tried to use its own creativity to flash another version of Kenshin kissing her on the cheek, then on the chin, then on her…ahem..ahem..

_Stop it, Kaoru..bad Kaoru..bad Kaoru.. _ she shook her head hard to snap out of her dreams.

_He said I smell bad…Kenshin!!!!!!! _ Smoke began to form again, this time it's thicker and darker.

She was ready to stomp her feet and strangle Kenshin when he suddenly stood up and held a piece of cloth high to see it clearly under the sun.

It was her ribbon. Her blue ribbon that looks like the ribbon she gave to Kenshin when he fought Jin'eh.

He sighed. " Oro…that stupid jerk poured sake over Kaoru-dono's ribbon. She'll never forgive sessha, it's her favourite ribbon, and now it's stained, it smells awful too. I don't like it when she gets angry.."

Kaoru fell on the grass hearing that, her face met the soil with a loud "Mou!!"

"Kaoru-dono?. Daijoubu?" . He rushed to her side to help her stand up.

"Hai.". She stammered, holding his arm for support and finally saw the ribbon that was playing games with her just now.

"Ano..Kaoru-dono, you have something on your face de gozaru yo.". He lifted his right hand to brush of the dirt, but Kaoru swiftly snatched the ribbon from his left hand, feigning a frown. She looked up at Kenshin, the ex-assassin looked as if he's ready to flee.

"K..Kaoru-dono, let sessha explain first.". he stuttered.

"Huh?". Was all she said before she wiped her face clean with the wet ribbon and threw it into the river.

"What?!!!…Kaoru-dono?." Kenshin broke into a run to get the ribbon back, ready to jump into the river.

"Matte!!!" Kaoru's scream stopped him.

"Kaoru-dono?."

"Why do you care so much about that piece of cloth?". She asked him softly.

"Because it's your favourite ribbon, Kaoru-dono.". He answered looking a bit confused.

"You're better with swords than lies, Kenshin. Tell me the truth, Kenshin." She accused him, her tone demanding him to do as he was asked to.

"Sessha..Kaoru-dono…sessha loves the ribbon. Sessha treasures it. You remember the ribbon, what it means to us, Kaoru-dono?." He answered softly, looking at her with such caring violet eyes.

"Kenshin…how long have you been doing this?."

"What?"

"Treasuring and loving the ribbon?"

"Since it was in my hands again, after I gave it to you back when my battle with Jin'eh was over. I secretly kept it after I washed it."

"And you bring it with you everywhere?"

"Hai."

"Honto?"

"Honto ni."

"You're wrong Kenshin." She lifted moistened sapphire eyes, looking straight into his own soft violet ones.

"Oro?" Kenshin looked totally confused, and baka.

"I still have the ribbon, unwashed, in the exact condition when you returned it to me."

"Orororo??.." .His face was a mask of a baka rurouni.

" You lavished your attention on that piece of junk, loved it even had it wherever you go, you showed it a love you never showed me, a feeling you never lavish upon me, you left me behind when you had that ribbon with you…..". she started to sob. Tears were threatening to fall down her white cheek. " You treated a piece of cloth better than you treat me….". Her eyes shut closed, tightly, allowing the tears to fall freely down her cheek.

  She shivered slightly when she felt his thumb wiping of her tears and gently rubbing her cheek. No later than that, his both hands came to cup her face, drawing her close to him.

"Sumanu, Kaoru-dono. Sessha never expected you would take it this way. Sessha didn't mean to hurt you. Sessha kept it as a reminder of you, Kaoru-dono. Sessha likes to have everything that reminds me of you."

Kaoru tilted her head up, meeting his gaze. _Yes, there's love in his eyes. Love. I can't be mistaken._

"Kenshin no baka." She smiled shakily, holding his hands pressed to her face.

"Why do you need a reminder when you can have me?."  She pressed his hands stronger.

"Why do you need to love a reminder when you can love..me?."  Tears streamed down freely, wetting his hands and breaking his heart. Kaoru's head looked down when Kenshin didn't answer.

Maybe he loves me as a sister, as a friend. Nothing more than that. I am stupid for hoping for his love.

She tried to break free from his hold. "Suman Kenshin. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry for bothering you Kenshin."

"I'm afraid." It was just a whisper, but it was enough to still her in his hold.

"I'm afraid of rejection, of staining you with my hands, of cruel fate, of everything." Kenshin tightened his hold on her, drawing her into a tight embrace.

"I'm afraid of losing you, of hurting you like I did to Tomoe, of ..of.." He trailed off, not bothering to continue.

"Tell me, Kenshin. I want to know."

"Of seeing you dead." He could still remember her face clearly on that unfortunate day. Her sapphire eyes that usually shine were lifeless, her lithe body was still, pinned to the wall by a watou staked through her heart. Her pale white skin a striking contrast to the red pool of blood around her. He felt as if the world had fallen on him that day, the agony, the pain..all of it.

"My enemies will forever label you as my woman. I thought if I keep a keep safe distance from you, there wouldn't be another Enishi again." He sighed as he breathed in her jasmine scent, resting her jaw on top of her shoulder.

"They are right. I am your woman." She whispered softly to him, only meant it for him alone.

She clutched him tighter. "I love you, Kenshin." She could hear his heart beating faster the moment those words are spoken.

"I was afraid, but now I'm not. I love you and I won't let my fear win over my love for you." Kaoru gazed at Kenshin, eyes filled with hope and love.

"Will you do the same for me, Kenshin?." She urged again when he didn't react.

He drew a deep breath before gazing in her eyes, nose nearly touching hers, their breaths mingling together.

"Hai, Kaoru. I will do the same for you."

He ended her worries by closing their distance and kissed her softly on her lips.

"Aishiteru Kaoru. Aishiteru."

"Aishiteru Kenshin."


End file.
